Children from across Moorings Way Infant School are feeling overjoyed following the official opening of their brand-new oakwood galleon play ship, which will provide endless outdoor adventures for generations to come.
Moorings Way has opened a new boat-themed play area with special guests, including the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Hugh Mason, MP, Stephen Morgan and the Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson.
The new play space, which cost over £6,500, was funded by Portsmouth City Council from its Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Spend.
Jill Loader, who led the project as the staff rep for the school’s Parent and Teacher Association, said there was a need for the new play facility as the previous framework was not useable.
She said: "As a team, we noticed there was a broken boat in the playground which the school had placed barriers around to ensure the children’s safety. So, we felt we needed something new for the children to enjoy, which is when we looked at the option of having a galleon.
"Seeing how much it was, we knew we didn’t have anywhere near that amount of funds, so I asked myself, who do I know and where can I go, there’s always someone we can reach out to. I engaged with councillors from Baffins and Milton [which the school serves], and they supported us with money from their funds. It makes me very proud to see the joy and the excitement on the faces of the children because of this new play area and I can’t thank the council enough for making this all possible.”
Moorings Way Infant School is a proud member of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust with schools from across the city represented at their event, including Meon Infant and Meon Junior schools.
Children from these schools will also occasionally benefit with this new outdoor play area at events such as sports days.
Stephen Morgan MP, the Shadow Minister for Schools, attended the official opening and congratulated the school for their new oakwood galleon.
He said: "It’s great to be at Moorings Way Infant School and see what the staff and the governors have been doing to invest in play facilities for young people. It’s good to see first-hand their efforts to keep children in our city stay safe and healthy.
"We have some real challenges with school buildings up and down the country, so it’s really important we do invest in the school estate to make sure children can access good quality play provision and enjoy green and open spaces, and in Portsmouth — a densely populated city — having good quality play facilities is vital for the children’s wellbeing, so this Galleon is a great resource for a great school. It’s very clear to me that this is a warm and welcoming school helping every child to succeed and thrive".
Natalie Sheppard, the Director of Education at the Trust for Portsmouth, says: "I was delighted to support the opening of the galleon and to thank Mrs Loader for the incredible leadership she has shown in establishing this wonderful piece of play equipment. Indeed, Mrs. Loader's work to make Moorings Way a school that inspires children, and the community, around the love of the outdoors and nature has been fantastic. The school now has its own orchard, and Moorings Way is really on the map! I know my son Hew, who is in Year 1, is thriving with the opportunity to both enjoy the outdoors and learn in it."
